Don’t Have Time to Read The Nine? Check Out the Audiobook!

Published: January 19, 2011

Covering the early 1990s to the 2006-07 term of the Court, CNN legal analyst and The New Yorker staff writer Jeffrey Toobin’s The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court provides an engaging overview of the Court’s recent history. Law students will recognize cases that made newspaper headlines during their primary, secondary, and undergraduate years (e.g., President Clinton’s impeachment, Bush v. Gore, and the Terri Schiavo case) while gaining an appreciation of the large number of less dramatic, yet equally significant, issues which the Court faces each term. Students who are interested in understanding the justices’ beliefs and judicial philosophies will enjoy the biographical sketches of the justices and the coverage of Chief Justice Roberts’ and Justice Alito’s nominations and confirmations (as well as the withdrawn nomination of Harriet Miers). Although the library also has a print copy, the audiobook format makes The Nine particularly accessible for students who want to learn more about the Court while engaged in other activities (e.g., jogging, using the gym, or commuting to school, etc.). If you enjoy The Nine and want to read more about the history of the Supreme Court, or focus on biographies of individual justices, use the library catalog or ask a professor or friendly research librarian for a recommendation!